A River For Millions: The Ganges
It flows for 1,560 miles (2,510 km), from the Himalayan mountains to the Bay of Bengal, draining much of the country of India. But the Ganges River is much more than a body of water that moves through India. It is a vital water resource for one billion people. It is also considered a holy river for the Hindu religion and has helped the development of many new civilizations, beginning as early as the third century B.C.
Mother Ganga
Hindus believe the Ganges has the ability to release dead souls from endless rebirth if their cremated ashes are spread in the water. This comes from the mythology about Ma Ganga, or Mother Ganga, a god who could have lived in heaven but chose instead to live on earth to purify the souls of everyone she encountered. Because of the river’s important religious role, many festivals and ceremonies take place in its waters. Gangasagar Mela is a festival that takes place in mid-January that celebrates Ganga’s descent from heaven. More than a half million Hindus dip themselves in the water during this festival to purify their souls. There are many special holy places where people immerse themselves in the river to receive purification or blessings.
River Origins
Esta historia es de la edición February 2017 de Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2017 de Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Animal Central
From golden frogs to big cats to colorful birds, the national animals of Central America represent the geography and cultures of the region. For a quick sampling of creatures plain and beautiful, common and rare, read on.
31 Countries Biosphere
The Trifinio Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve is located at a spot where El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras converge. A biosphere is the layer of planet Earth where life exists.
THE LEGEND OF THE QUETZAL BIRD
A Mayan Tale retold by Pat Betteley illustrated by Amanda Shepherd
Semana Santa GUATEMALA'S HOLY WEEK
What if Easter preparations meant dyeing sand, collecting pine needles, and staying up all night to work on an art project that you knew would be ruined the very next day? Well, welcome to Guatemala’s Semana Santa, or Holy Week.
ME OH-MAYA!
The Maya are groups of people who live in parts of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Their ancestors created a great society. At its peak, from 600-900 C.E., the Maya civilization was more advanced than its neighbors in the Americas.
Playing Games Honduras-style
Would you play the same games in Honduras that you do in the United States? You might. Children in Honduras enjoy many of the same games North Americans do. They go fishing and shoot baskets. They play sandlot baseball—called bate (BAH tay). They fly kites and ride bikes. Their parents may go horseback riding or play golf or tennis.
LIVING A LONG LIFE IN THE Blue Zone
Most people would like to live as long a life as possible. No one really knows why some people live longer than others, but did you know that where you live can play a big part in how many years you’ll be alive? If you live in a Blue Zone, chances are that you will live much longer than people in other parts of the world.
ATTENTION WORLD: Belize Saves Their Coral Reef
Sea turtles float in clear waters, colorful corals hug the ocean floor, and aquatic animals glide among the mangrove roots. Welcome to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second-largest coral reef in the world (Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is number one). Several years ago, this reef was in crisis, heading toward destruction. But the people of Belize fought back to save their reef’s health.
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a 51-mile long canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
This is Central America!
It’s time to visit Central America. But first, it helps to know exactly where Central America is. Despite its name, it is the southernmost part of North America, which can seem a little confusing. It makes up most of the isthmus dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and has water on both sides.
